Page 12 of Exposing Colorado

“Thanks.” You look gorgeous, like always. Beautiful and deadly.

Her frown deepens. “Where’s Dev?”

I swallow hard, jerking my chin toward the front of the RV. “Checking in or something.”

She studies me like she wants to argue but thinks better of it and shuffles outside. I’m left standing there, the quiet pressing in around me like a vice.

I should follow her. Should go back out and pretend everything’s fine, but I can’t make my legs fucking move.

Instead, I sink onto the edge of the mattress and twist my wedding ring around my finger, elbows braced on my knees.

Laughter peals through an open window—Taylor cackles, Huck’s voice rumbles something low. Arya giggles as the sound of a dirt bike revs to life.

Everyone's so happy that it’s suffocating.

After too short a moment, the door opens again and heavy steps approach me. I don’t even need to look up to know who it is.

Devon doesn’t say anything, but I feel him standing there like he’s waiting for me to acknowledge his presence.

The silence stretches on. Neither of us speak. The heat of his stare burns a hole into the side of my face.

I should say something, face the fire and get this thing over with. But my body won’t cooperate. My fingers dig into my knees, teeth locked tight enough to crack.

Eventually, Devon blows out an irritated breath. “You gonna keep pretending I don’t exist, or are we going to talk about it?”

“Not in the mood, Dev.”

“Well, neither am I.” Slow, deliberate footsteps close the distance between us. “You can’t ignore me forever.”

I scoff, finally looking up at him. “Watch me.”

His jaw tightens, biceps rippling as he crosses his arms over his chest. He looks exhausted, hair a mess from running his hands through it a thousand times. Dark circles rim his amber eyes, shadowed with something more sinister than just lack of sleep.

He opens his mouth, then shuts it before spinning on his heel toward the door. “Fuck this."

For some wild reason, watching him walk away only intensifies the ache in my chest.

I launch to my feet, throwing my arms wide. “That’s all you’ve got to say after ruining my entire life?”

Devon freezes mid-step, shoulders stiffening. He slowly rotates in place, an unreadable expression on his face. “What the fuck do you want me to say? Sorry for telling you the truth? For giving you what you asked for? I’m really fucking tired of playing these games with everyone when I don’t even know the rules.”

I flounder, searching for something… anything to say.

Because I don’t know the rules, either. I don’t know what the fuck I want from him but what I do know, is that nothing feels right anymore. His “revelation” last year rearranged my entire existence, and not in a good way. Everything I thought I believed turned out to be one big, fat lie. And then six months ago…

He wants to talk about rules? There aren't any. There never were.

Devon watches me for a second longer, then shakes his head with a bitter laugh. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

This time, I don’t stop him when he walks away.

I just collapse back onto the bed and cry, my wife's scent still clinging to the sheets.

Chapter

Six

Salem